Young Authors

Students in Mrs. Teal's Writing Through World Literature class have been reading, critiquing, discussing, and writing personal narratives as they investigate how storytelling helps us understand and respect other people's perspectives and identities​. After writing ​their own​ mini memoir​s, students were invited to enter their work​s​ for publication in Teen Ink Magazine​, a national magazine, book series, and website w​hose​ sole purpose ​is​ publishing and sharing teen writing and art.​

Memoirs written by Brett Almany, Evan Saroken, Jenny She, and Eli Rubin have been published on Teen Ink's website. ​In addition, ​Darby Krugel received ​an editor’s choice award​, Sophie Henderson earned ​a front page feature, and Leen Rass earned ​a reader’s top ​pick recognition​.  Congratulations to ​these students!

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What Makes a Healthy Ecosystem?

We just finished Unit 2 in Biology that focused on many aspects of ecology.  During the last couple of weeks the students learned about the flow of energy through an ecosystem, how species interact to survive and how certain factors in the environment limit population growth.  Visualizing how species interact through relationships like mutualism, parasitism and predation was especially fun using National Geographic video clips.  You will have to ask your student to describe the parasitic relationship between the caterpillar and wasp larvae or how wolves are keystone species in Yellowstone National Park (see link below). Throughout this unit various graphs and data were analyzed, which is a transferable skill that I hope students can use throughout high school and beyond.  The students also used their math skills to calculate different aspects of populations, including predicted populations and population density.  Next week we are starting a new unit on biodiversity and how human activity impacts the variety and number of species throughout the world.  This unit will end in December with student presentations that explore the threats to biodiversity as well as evaluating solutions to decrease humans' impact on biodiversity.

HOW WOLVES CHANGE RIVERS

The Danger of a Single Story

September has been a month of exploring why and how people tell their stories. On one of the first days of class this year, students watched Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie's TedTalk entitled, "The Danger of a Single Story," in which she warns us against seeing others from only one perspective, of having only one story of a person or a people. After discussing her message, the students began to understand that the only way for people to truly understand one another is for us all to tell our own stories, to give one another a glimpse into what the world looks like through our eyes.

In order to tell their own stories in the best way possible, students realized that they needed to better understand the techniques that other authors use when they write personal narratives.

Consequently, we have been reading and listening to a series of personal narratives, each with a different focus. For example, we studied "The Scolding" by Nabeela Rehman to consider how dialogue can bring a story to life, while Dara Horn's "Walking With Living Feet" drove home the impact of vivid imagery. If you would like to listen to or read the narratives we've been enjoying, they can be found HERE.

During one class, students looked for various literary elements in Amy Tan's famous personal narrative "Fish Cheeks." Each group focused on annotating for a new technique as they came to each new part of the story. By the end, we had uncovered a wealth of techniques used by Amy Tan to convey the maturity that it takes to recognize and accept one's identity.



After we study a story, students apply the technique we've focused on to their own memoirs. For example, after listening to/reading and discussing Kamaal Majeed's "Being Content With Myself" to recognize the importance of a story's hook, students rewrote the first line of their own memoirs for maximum reader impact and connection to their memoirs' themes. Students wrote these on large sheets of poster paper so that they could be inspired by one another's writing.

Students are looking forward to sharing their stories near the end of October. Their memoirs cover just about every topic imaginable, but more that that, they add important stories to our collective understanding of our community. And for that, I am so grateful!

Introduction to Experimental Design and Ecology

We have had a great start to the new year in Biology!  Our first unit focused on practicing skills needed in the laboratory, such as measuring mass, volume and length using appropriate equipment, designing experiments by identifying variables and constants, and recording qualitative and quantitative data. 

Our first inquiry lab concerning isopod behavior was a success!  “Isopods” are the scientific name for the backyard critters many of us call “pill bugs” or “roly-polies”.  The students set up a choice chamber to test the preferences of isopods.  For example, some students thought it would be interesting to test whether isopods preferred dark or lighted environments, hot or cold temperatures, and sand or soil ground cover.  We will be discussing their results next week and analyzing the bug behaviors. 

Recently we started our second unit on ecology.  The students are creating food webs to visualize the important relationships between plants, animals and how human activity impacts natural food webs.  Soon we are planning to go outside to collect data for a population simulation and to remove Buckthorn, an invasive species growing in the forests behind BHHS.  Hopefully the weather continues to be beautiful! 

World History - Geography / Culture Unit

World History - Geography / Culture Review Unit

Freshman World History begins with a review unit on Geography and Culture.  Topics of discussion include the 5 Themes of Geography, 7 Elements of Culture, and Rise of Civilization.  Students have previously been exposed to most of these topics in some fashion during their sixth or seventh grades, however, I find it extremely beneficial to touch on them again this year.  It is my belief that a strong understanding of Geography and Culture are perhaps the best tools a student can possess while developing an appreciation and comprehension of World History.

This past week, students participated in an activity that used Peter Menzel's,  Material World:  A Global Family Portrait.  In 1994, Menzel traveled the World and took portraits of the "average family" in terms of income, size, religious affiliation, etc. from 30 different countries.  Before shooting the photo, he had the family move all of their personal possessions outside of their home and then took the family portrait in front of the home with all of the possessions surrounding them.

We had a discussion about how much of our culture or story could be told through viewing just our possessions and family in a picture?  After having the chance in small groups to closely analyze some of the portraits, I asked the students to describe how the 5 Themes of Geography and Elements of Culture were on display in these photos.  Through this experience, the students should gain perspective about what their own possessions, home, and family say about their personal identities.  The thought is that this will be helpful as they complete their end of unit presentations on their culture.

Currently, in Mrs. Teal's English class, our students are learning about both the telling and listening of stories and the variety of ways that stories can be told.  To connect our studies in World History with the learning that is occurring in English, I asked the students to pick one of the family portraits that they viewed and to attempt to write that family's story.  They then shared these stories in Mrs. Teal's class.  An interesting discussion that occurred out of this activity was a student question concerning the fact that they were writing the family's story with incomplete information.  Which led to a discussion about what other information would they like to have and how would they obtain it?

Symmetry in Culture

Welcome Team 9A 2016-2017!

We are excited to start the new school year! Exploring our cultures is a beginning theme on our team this year.  In math, the students' first project was to explore symmetry in their culture.  Students reported on things that had line and rotational symmetry and told about them.  Very many interesting facts were shared and we discovered that there is symmetry all around us!  The projects were awesome!  Here is just one example:

Welcome Back

We are so excited to welcome this year's freshman class and can't wait for a wonderful year!